Norris on challenging Red Bull in 2024: 'No Mount Everest'
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- GPblog.com
Last season, Red Bull Racing's team had little competition. For instance, they won every race except Singapore. Still, you would think that this dominance cannot last forever. There is going to come a time when the other teams will challenge the British team. How do the teams themselves feel about their chances in 2024?
Mclaren's team did not start the 2023 season strongly. Until the British Grand Prix in July, the team failed to secure a podium finish. After this Grand Prix, they caught up, taking many points and podiums. The team eventually secured fourth place in the constructors' championship.
'We are on the right track'
Mclaren's Lando Norris is therefore confident that his team can challenge Red Bull next season. Norris indicated to The National that he is confident his team can take a step forward towards Red Bull. Winning over Red Bull he thinks is still a step too far. The fact that they were able to play catch-up in the middle of a season shows that they can be capable of much more in the winter. "And now we know what direction to lean in, we can really go for that. We’re on the right track," Norris said.
'It's like Mount Everest'
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff takes a very different view. His team finished second in the constructors' championship, but the step to Red Bull is as big as Mount Everest, according to him, he told GPBlog.com and others. According to him, this gap is too big to close before next season. There are also potentially other teams that could become a danger to Mercedes, such as Mclaren and Aston Martin.
Norris does not see the gap with Red Bull as Mount Everest. "So that’s not Mount Everest. It’s a hill, but it’s not Mount Everest. When you’re talking about 15 seconds over a 60-lap race, you’re talking about a 10th a lap – it’s tiny. It’s nothing, but at the same time it’s so much," Norris added. What Mclaren needs to work on, according to the Brit, is consistent presentation at all possible levels, just like Red Bull Racing.
The first race weekend in Bahrain is scheduled from 29 February to 2 March 2024. Only then will we really see how the teams stand and who can possibly challenge Red Bull.